Devin Smith has found he doesn’t have to make leaping one-handed catches to make an impact for Ohio State. Check out the punt-coverage unit when the Buckeyes host Illinois on Saturday, because, more than likely, he’ll be on it.

“Coach (Urban) Meyer believes in putting his best athletes on special teams,” the receiver said. “Every single meeting we have, we start off with the kicking game.

“That’s kickoff, kick return, punt coverage, punt return, punt block, field goals, extra points. Those plays are just as important as the others, which is why he wants his best athletes out there.”

There Smith was last week at Penn State, getting shut out on catching passes but making two tackles as a punt-team gunner, one of the outside men on the punt team whose mission is to get to the return man as fast as possible.

In the NFL, it would be rare to see a starting receiver being put in such a role. But college football is different.

“I would tell you that, being he is one of the fastest guys on the team, if he wasn’t the gunner, I would be disappointed in him,” receivers coach Zach Smith said. “He did an unbelievable job (at Penn State). He’s really done a great job all year.”

Devin Smith saw it not only as an opportunity, but also an obligation. “Just my ability to make plays and help this team any way I can, that’s what is driving me there,” he said. “To make those tackles really means a lot to me.

“And to be (OSU) special-teams player of the week for a second time this season, that’s special.”

Meyer and the coaches bestowed the honor after a review of the PSU video. It was obvious that Devin Smith has a knack for being a gunner, as he should.

“Being a gunner on a punt is no different from playing receiver on a go route,” Zach Smith said. “You just have to get off of press-man (coverage) and get to the returner, essentially the ball. He’s been phenomenal at it, and I was fired up for him to do it.

“He embraces the role; he loves it. Obviously, you saw the passion he played with.”

Folks also saw the jeopardy. After he made his second tackle that night, he stayed on the ground as training personnel rushed to his side.

“When I made contact and fell to the ground, I couldn’t feel my arm at all,” Devin Smith said. “As I rolled over and looked at it, I just thought, ‘Oh, man, I hope it’s not broken.’

“But then there was like a shock that came from my hand, the feeling came back real fast, and all I thought then was, ‘All right. I’m good.’”